State Library of Queensland photo victims urged to complain

Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland wants women who believe they have been victims of sexual harassment at the State Library of Queensland to lodge sexual harassment complaints.

A number of senior former female library employees have come forward to ask for an independent inquiry into bullying and sexual harassment at the library after Fairfax Media reported 2784 secret photos had been taken of women at SLQ.

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner has questioned how a library employee taking secret photos of a staff member's cleavage is not sexual harassment.

ADCQ deputy commissioner Neroli Holmes on Monday encouraged women to come forward after being briefed by Fairfax Media last week.

"We strongly encourage people who believe they have been sexually harassed to lodge complaints with ADCQ so that the matters can be investigated impartially with a view to resolution," Ms Holmes said.

"Speaking generally, the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 gives people the right to make a complaint to ADCQ if they feel they have been discriminated against, sexually harassed, victimised or vilified."

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Fairfax Media reported on December 23 major concerns over Queensland state librarian Janette Wright's handling of an investigation of a senior SLQ staff member secretly photographing 2784 women's breasts and cleavage at the library.

Former employees now want Arts Minister Ian Walker to stand Ms Wright aside for an independent inquiry into bullying and sexual harassment at SLQ.

Mr Walker refused to comment on a review of sexual harassment or bullying.

He said his office had recently been assured by the Crime and COrruption Commission that it was satisfied by the investigation undertaken by the state librarian.

However one woman whose breasts was photographed by the staff member on his iPhone at a "one on one" staff meeting when she was 30-weeks pregnant, is still shocked by Ms Wright's response.

When she reported being photographed by the man, she said her male SLQ director told her: "Don't be silly, you're just hormonal."

She said Ms Wright's priorities were guided by the impact on the SLQ's reputation.

"As a leader, her efforts in supporting the victims were really poor, really poor," one woman said.

"Justice now needs to be served to those women who had their privacy violated."

The woman said an independent review into bullying and sexual harassment at SLQ was "absolutely essential".

"Yes. I think it would need to date back to at 2010. Bullying and sexual harassment were rife," one woman said.

"My husband would say to me 'Just leave. Just leave'. It was such a toxic place."

Ms Wright insists she conducted the review with the advice of the Crime and Misconduct Commission, who in October 2013 ruled the investigation was complete.

The thousands of women photographed before December 11, 2012 included female SLQ employees, member of the public and female students from nearby high schools, including Brisbane State High School.

The secret photographs were taken on the employee's government-supplied iPhone, downloaded to a government-supplied iPad, by the former government employee at a government workplace.

The issue had been kept secret until two former employees came forward. No apology to staff since 2012 has ever been issued.

"If an individual is found to have victimised a person making a complaint, this can be a criminal offence resulting in a fine or imprisonment for up to three months," she said.

Senior former employees have - since Fairfax Media published the first report on December 23, 2014 - expressed their horror that:

a junior staff member, whistleblower Daniel Abel, lost his SLQ contract, after first reporting the senior SLQ staff taking photographs on October 17, 2012;

the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission on December 23, 2014 has ruled that the secret photographs taken on a government iPhone, at a government workplace, by a former government employee is not a government-workplace issue;

two sources have told Fairfax Media the SLQ Board was told there were "upskirting" photographs among the 2784 images. This cannot be independently verified at this stage;

all want Ms Wright to stand down as Queensland's state librarian;

Ms Wright was involved in the inquiry into a "direct line" employee; and

a damming 2011 report into the SLQ by consultants Oakton Consultants – questioning the performance of the person who took the photographs - was never adopted.

One woman who was photographed by the former SLQ staff member said she had raised the issue of "stalking" charges being investigated by police.

"They said it is a 'grey area' because he took photographs of you in an area where you did not expect privacy, like a toilet or a change room," she said.

"However, depending on the number of photographs that were taken over a period of time, it could be considered as stalking."

The woman said she was still considering a sexual harassment claim at that time.

The woman said she was frightened and shocked when Ms Wright telephoned her on maternity leave to angrily question why she had taken any advice from police.

"I actually started crying on the phone," she said.

"She said, 'Do you think your advice is better than mine?'

"I said to her 'I do actually feel quite violated by what had happened at the time and I don't appreciate your tone'."

The woman said she then made up her mind at that stage to leave SLQ.

Mr Walker repeatedly says the issue must be handled by the SLQ and refuses any further comment.